Six to be inducted into Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in the Class of 2019

The 2019 inductees in attendance included (from left) Gerry Hereux accepting for Alan Fox, Jon Campbell, Chris and Rick Turchetti accepting for Rico Turchetti, and Dave Howard, Steve Bigelow, Neal Vitullo, Paul Tomasello, Jack Howarth and Mike LaBelle, all of Neal & The Vipers. Claudia Lennear attended via Skype from Los Angeles and can be seen on the screen of the laptop being held by Dave Howard.

Posted
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 1:14 pm

The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame (RIMHOF) held a press conference on Friday, February 22, announcing its 2019 inductees. The press conference took place in the RIMHOF Museum located at Hope Artiste Village, 999 Main St., Pawtucket. Members of the RIMHOF Board of Directors, many past inductees, and fans and family were on hand for the naming of the six new inductees who will enter into the Hall of Fame this spring.

It was also announced that this year's induction ceremonies and concert events will take place on two days – April 26 and April 28 – as RIMHOF celebrates its eighth year of operation.

“During the last seven years, the Music Hall of Fame initiative has provided our state with a great opportunity to acknowledge Rhode Island's musical greats and celebrate their achievements. The organization's primary goal is to promote and preserve our state's rich musical heritage in all its forms,” says Rick Bellaire, vice chair of RIMHOF.

This year’s RIMHOF Folk induction will take place on Friday, April 26, 7 p.m., at Pump House Music Works, 1464 Kingstown Road, Wakefield, RI. Being honored on April 26 will be singer-songwriter Jon Campbell. Tickets for the April 26 event are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and will include a performance by Jon Campbell. Tickets for the April 26 event can be purchased at www.rhodeslandmusichalloffame.com

Sunday's April 28 event will include the Unveiling Ceremony for all six 2019 RIMHOF Inductee exhibits. The ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. in the Hall of Fame itself, located within the Hope Artiste Village complex, 999 Main St., Pawtucket. The Induction concert tales place at The Met at 3 p.m. Grammy Award winning songwriter Phil Madeira will be joined by his bandmates from Emmylou Harris' band, The Red Dirt Boys – Chris Donohue on bass and Bryan Owings on drums. Claudia Lennear, one of rock music's all-time greatest backing singers, will perform, and Neal & the Vipers will be close out the festivities and bring up several of the more than one dozen former members of the band to jam.

The 2 p.m. unveiling of the inductee exhibits is free and open to the public; a ticket will be required for entrance to the 3 p.m. concert in The Met. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and will go on sale March 1 at www.rhodeislandmusichalloffame.com.

The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, formed in 2011, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and preserving the legacy of Rhode Island musicians, educators and industry professionals who have made significant contributions to both the national and Rhode Island music scene. At last year's induction concert event, the public saw eight displays unveiled honoring the inductees in the museum space located in the hallways of Hope Artiste Village. This year's induction ceremony on April 28 will see six more displays unveiled celebrating the 2019 inductees and bringing the total to 71 inductee exhibits produced in just eight years. Eventually, the museum will hold more than 100 displays as well as assorted Rhode Island music history memorabilia and interactive components for visitors to enjoy.

Robert Billington, Chair of RIMHOF noted, “The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and concerts have become the place to be and be seen at as we continue to showcase the fascinating history of Rhode Island's musical heroes. The events are a virtual 'who's who' of Rhode Island music history.”

All proceeds from RIMHOF's annual induction events go toward creating the museum displays, acquiring recordings and memorabilia, and digitizing that collection for permanent online access for future generations. All organizational work has been donated by members of the Board Of Directors and a staff of volunteers.

On future plans for the Hall of Fame, Rick Bellaire added, “Our Archive Committee continues its work on the core mission, writing biographies and compiling discographies for our inductees and others, and we continue our commitment to honoring those who work behind-the-scenes as well. Simultaneously, new efforts to catalog and preserve the ever-growing collection have begun along with the implementation of a long-term plan to move the museum and website to the next level with more physical exhibits and interactive features.”

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